Cigarette vending machine



June 16, 1936.

A. J. NUSS CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7f Inventor June 16, 1936. A. J. NU SS CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28; 1935 3 SheetsSheet 2 Snnentor an W I Gttonleg June 16, i A J Nuss 2,441,441

CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE I Filed Oct. 28, ,1935 s Sheets-ShgetS QZE 3 men tor (Ittorneg Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Application October 28, 1935, Serial No. 47,108

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a cigarette vending machine, and more specifically to a machine of that character which is adapted to deliver cigarettes only when a coin is placed Within a slot in payment of the cigarettes delivered. This is the same invention for which I made application for Letters Patent on January 13, 1933, Serial No. 651,559.

The objects I have accomplished in my invention is the production of a machine of the character described which will function to deliver the cigarettes only when a coin of a predetermined denomination is placed therein, which device will at all times disclose whether there are cigarettes in the container, and adjacent to the discharge opening. A further object of the device is the fact that the operating lever can be moved before the coin is inserted for the purpose of moving the cigarettes which may be stuck within the container in a position to be delivered when the coin is inserted. Another object is the moving of the cigarettes within the container without breaking or injuring them. Other objects will be hereinafter disclosed.

These objects are accomplished by means of the device hereinafter described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aperspective view of'the device with portions of the housing cut away for the purpose of showing mechanism within the housing. Fig. 2 is a top. view of two supporting rails with portions of the mechanism supported thereby. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the push rod for actuating the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the device partly in section. 5 is a rear perspective view of the feeding device. Fig. 6 is a front view of the feeding device. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the feeding device showing a fragmentary view of the agitator.

Referring to the drawings, I have provided a housing ill in which the back portion thereof is adapted a removable lid ml. The housing may be provided with Windows I l of transparent material so that a view of the contents may be had.

Within the housing is the device constructed for the purpose of delivering the cigarettes. It consists of the following elements: Supporting rails 39 and are attached to each side of the inside walls of the housing, said rails being positioned parallel with each other, and when the vending machine is positioned for operation, said rails are approximately horizontal. A plate 4i may connect said rails. The plate should have an elongated opening 22 through which the cigarettes can fall when their delivery is desired, and another opening 30! for purposes herein explained.

A cigarette dispenser 2| consists of a box frame 23 open at the top and bottom, and constructed large enough to hold one cigarette only. It is here noted that said box frame can be constructed large enough to hold a package of cigarettes, or any predetermined number, the object being that the number of cigarettes delivered from any one machine should be uniformly the same. The box frame has an extension 2m attached thereto, which extension is pivotally connected with lever I1. Lever I 'l is pivotally attached to bracket 110, which bracket is rigidly attached to rail 40. The end of lever ll adjacent to push-rod I3 is normally free. Lever I! normally holds the box frame so that plate 4| functions as a bottom to the box frame 23, by means of a spring IH attached to leverl1, extending lengthwise on said lever beyond the pivotal point I12, the one end of the spring being anchored to rail 40 through a bracket H4. It will be noted that normally the box frame is positioned over a portion of plate 4|. When a cigarette is placed within the box frame it will rest upon said plate, but by a movement of lever I 1 the open box frame can be made to register with slot 22, sliding the cigarette Within the box so it can drop through slot 22.

Directly under slot 22 is chute 25 which is adapted to receive a cigarette when it has dropped through slot 22. Gravity will carry the cigarette through said chute to the bottom. A discharge opening 260 is cut through the housing adjacent to the discharge end of chute'25. Outside of the housing and adjacent to opening 260 is a receiver 26 attached to said housing to receive the cigarettes when discharged from chute 25. The cigarettes in the receiver can be appropriated by the person operating the device.

The cigarettes to be dispensed are held in storage within the housing on an inclined mem ber 28, positioned above said supporting rails 39 and 40. Said inclined member is arranged as hereinafter described so that a constant supply of cigarettes are held just above box frame 23 when the vending machine is in normal position for dispensing the cigarettes. In this position plate 4| is on an approximately horizontal plane.

To discharge the cigarettes from the box frame into chute 25, I have provided a push bar or trip l3. Push bar I3 is slidingly attached to supporting rail 39 by pins I40 and I50, which pins engage slots It and i5 in the push bar. The heads on pins I40 and I50 are adapted to hold the push bar adjacent to rail 39, said heads being larger in diameter than the width of the slots. The push bar is thus adapted to slide on said pins. When assembled, push bar I3 has one end extending through slot I20 to the outside of the housing. The extended end terminates with a handle I2. The opposite end of the push bar has a peg I3I attached thereto to which one end of spring I33 is anchored. The opposing end of spring I33 is anchored to rail 39. Spring I33 normally holds push bar I3 in a position extending beyond the housing. It is noted that peg I3I extends through slot I34 in rail 39 in which slot the peg can, slide back and forth with the movement of the push bar.

Guides I32 are attached to plate 4| to assist in holding the push bar within a fixed path of travel. It is also noted that the push bar is positioned at approximately right angles to lever IT.

A coin holder consisting of two slotted members [6 and I68 are attached to the push rod so the slots therein are at approximately right angles to the push rod. The slots in the two members will register when on an approximately vertical line.' Slotted members I6 and IE0 are positioned a spaced distance apart. The slots in said slotted members !6 and IE0 are adapted to receive a coin. The space between said members, and the position of lever I! are such that when push bar I3 is moved inward, lever I! will pass between said slotted members, and when a coin is therein, and the push bar is moved inwardly, the coin will engage lever I1 moving it and the cigarette dispenser 2| so the cigarette therein can drop into chute 25. When push bar I3 is positioned for discharging a cigarette, the coin within slotted members I5 and I60 will be over an opening I63 in plate M, and the coin will drop therethrough. Lever I1, and pivotally attached cigarette disp'enser 2| will then be free to move to their normal positions by the action of spring "I, said spring being attached at one end to lever lI, and anchored at the other end to anchor means I14.

The limit of the movement of the cigarette dispenser is fixed by stops l9 and 220. By releasing pressure on handle I2, push lever I3 will return to normal position by the action of spring To insure delivery of cigarettes to the box form 23, I have constructed an inclined support which terminates at its lower-end adjacent to saidbox form. The relative arrangement of the inclined support and the box frame are such that the cigarettes rolling down the incline support will roll into the box form.

A -box 45 is adapted to hold a supply of cigarettes. It is constructed with an open top approximately the same width as the width of the inclined support. The ends are slightly shorter than the sides, so that when the box has cigarettes I0 therein, and box 45 is inverted on themclined support, the cigarettes can roll through opening 453 between the end of the box and the inclined support into box frame 23 for delivery.

- For the purpose of securing a constant feed of cigarettes at the lower end of the inclined support, I have invented an agitator which operates in conjunction with inclined support 28. Said support'28 is formed as a plane, and has lateral slots 47 and 48 therein. Adjacent to said slots slideways 49 and 53 are formed. These slideways are depressed below the top surface of support 28. The agitator is constructed of a channel member 54 which has outwardly extending flanges 52 and 53' on the sides of said channel member. The agitator is assembled with the inclined support so that the body portion of the agitator is on the underside of said support. vThe.'sides of the agitator extend through slots 41 and 48, and flanges 52 and 53 ride on slideways 49 and 50. The thickness of the flanges are such that when assembled the upper surface of the flanges are slightly below the upper surface of the inclined support. The relation of the slots and the sides of the agitator extending therethrough are such that the flanges can be moved so the upper surface of the flange is slightly above the upper surface of the support.

Slots 41 and 48, and slideways 49 and 50 are longer than flanges 52 and 53, so that the agitator can have a longitudinal movement on the slideways. This longitudinal movement is created by a combination consisting of a bifurcated member 55 attached to the underside of the agitator and depending downward therefrom, and a rod 30 which is attached at approximately right angles to push bar I3. When assembled rod 30 passes through the bifurcated opening in member 55. When the-push bar is moved back and forth, a similar back and forth movement is transmitted to-member 55, whichin turn moves the agitator back and forth on the inclined support. An opening 30I in plate 4| permits the bifurcated member 55 to extend therethrough, and a rest 302 is adapted to support the free end of rod 30. A curved leaf spring 56 has one end attached to the agitator. The other end is free. When the push bar is at rest in its normal position, the agitator will be positioned near the bottom of the slideway, and in that position spring 56 will be comprest and will hold the lower ends of flanges 52 and 53 above the upper surface of support 28, thus raising the cigarettes thereon above the plane of support 28, and the slight movement thus made will-start the cigarettes rolling toward the box frame. When the agitator is moved upward, which movement is accomplished by pushing in the push bar, the tension of curved spring 56 is reduced and flanges 52 and 53 will drop down in the slideways so the top surface of the flanges will be below the top surface of support 28. A tension spring 51 holds the upper ends of the flangesnonstantly on the same plane, or slightly below the upper surface of the support, so by the movement back and forth of the agitator the ends of the flanges will notpierce or tear the cigarettes. V

A brace 58 extending from plate M to support 28-is. for. the purpose of strengthening the assembly. The curved members I4 and 15 shown in Fig. 6 are stops for'cigarettesrolling down the inclined member 28, said stops." and 15 being adapted to guide the cigarettes to box form 23.

,I-Iaving described myinvention I claim:

1. In a device for dispensing cigarettes, said device having a housing, a chute adapted to deliver cigarettes deposited therein to the outside of the housing, a receptacle adapted to hold a supply. of cigarettes, an opening in said receptacle adapted for cigarettes ;to be discharged therefrom, parallel longitudinal grooves in the bottom of the receptacle, said receptacle being positioned so that the bottom thereof is on an inclineiwith the discharge opening at the lower corner thereof, and with said discharge opening adjacent to the upper end of the chute, and means for discharging cigarettes from the receptacle which'discharging means is actuated by a push. rod adapted to be manually operated, an agitator within the reecptacle consisting of sliding members adapted normally to slide within said grooves, being of such shapes and sizes that they can be wholly below the plane of the upper surface of said bottom of the receptacle, means connecting the push rod with the agitator adapting the sliding members to move simultaneously with the push rod, and means for raising a portion of the sliding members slightly above the plane of the bottom of the receptacle consisting of a curved spring, one end of which is attached to the agitator, the other end being free, a base, the spring being shaped so that the free end thereof is in engagement with the base when the sliding member is at the lower end of its path of travel, and is disengaged when moved upward from said lower end of its path of travel.

2. A device described in claim 1 hereof having yielding means adapted to constantly hold the upper end of the sliding member below the plane of the upper surface of the bottom of the receptacle.

3. In a device for dispensing cigarettes, said device having a housing, a chute adapted to deliver cigarettes deposited therein to the outside of said housing by gravity force, a receptacle adapted to hold a supply of cigarettes, an opening in said receptacle adapted for cigarettes to be discharged therefrom, said receptacle being positioned so that the bottom thereof is on an incline, and so that the discharge opening therein is at the lower corner of said receptacle and adjacent to the upper end of the chute, an agitator adapted to prevent the cigarettes within the receptacle from clogging the discharge opening, said agitator consisting of sliding members adapted to be moved back and forth longitudinally on the upper surface of the bottom of said receptacle, and means for raising slightly said sliding member while it is sliding upward, consisting of a spring adapted to become operative as the sliding member moves upward from the lower end of its path of travel.

AUGUST J. N'USSv 

